The Third of the Grand Revolutions

There's a lot of talk about the Digital Revolution and the effects it had, has, might have. Let's take a step back to put things into perspective: Could it be that this revolution is a lot larger than we usually think? Are we currently experiencing the beginnings of a major transformation not only of our technological base, but of the very … Continue reading The Third of the Grand Revolutions →

The multitude of technology choices

Usually we do not realise it, but our relation with technology is far from simple. Not only at the macro-level, such as the interactions between social media and society, but also for every individual. Today I'll try to cast some light on our personal technology choices: How do we as individuals pick the "right" technology? What influences our … Continue reading The multitude of technology choices →

Cities, companies, and innovation – Accelerate!

In their quest for the commonalities and differences between cities and companies, Geoffrey West and his team came across the crucial interplay between those two social structures. And from those findings, we can see that the role of cities in innovation is a lot stronger than we usually realise. A grand ideaThe heart of the matter is superlinear … Continue reading Cities, companies, and innovation – Accelerate! →

Malthus and Moore

Here's a nice puzzle for you: Is there any lesson that we could learn from the Malthusian Trap and apply that to Moore's Law? Or is that a bridge too far? Well, let's look at a couple of arguments. Thomas MalthusAt the very beginning of the 19th century, the political economist Thomas Malthus wrote "An Essay on the Principle of Population". Based … Continue reading Malthus and Moore →

Three days, three breakthroughs

Wow, what a ride! Just between 10 and 12 December 2015 –within the blink of an eye– three events occurred that we will likely consider breakthroughs in a couple of years: the Paris Agreement, the launch of OpenAI, and the first successful run of Wendelstein 7-X. While one of those events is widely agreed as historic, the other two currently … Continue reading Three days, three breakthroughs →